


Acceptance

by orphan_account



Category: OFF (Game)
Genre: Angsty?, Bad!Batter shows up, Batterie - Freeform, I made this for school, M/M, No Smut, Poor Zacharie, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Very emotional for Zacharie, at some point, idk why, not telling when tho, there needs to be more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 09:55:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11288856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: I write this for school, so it's like, top quality for this year 'n shit. (I know school ended a few months ago, but still. I forgot to post this)(Posting at five in the morning, how fun)~Zacharie is having a hard time being around the Batter. Zacharie is having a hard time being around himself...





	1. Chapter 1

It was like a tidal wave. No, it was a typhoon; A gigantic typhoon crashing into him like he was a small island in a vast sea of rippling plastic.   
Of course, in this world where the air is smoke and the oceans are composed of plastic, it’s hard to imagine a soul living here in this proclaimed “perfect” world.   
But, in the rocks there’s usually a diamond hidden far beneath the earth. Yes, the earth- symbolic for the tough layer that Zacharie- a simple, masked merchant- had built to block out any blows from the outside world.   
Now that diamond that was hidden beneath the rubble was piercing his tough skin- completely changing how he operates.    
That diamond was the being known as “Batter”. Zacharie wasn’t sure whether or not that was his real name or not- or even what species this strange man was in this demented world- but he knew one thing: that he should have never let feelings for that man creep under his skin.  
Now, with these newfound feelings, he couldn’t operate right in front of the man, he couldn’t even exchange credits- the currency of this world- without blushing under his mask at the simple brush of their fingers.   
What really got to him was that Batter had been the King of this now crumbling fortress- the one married to the ever-beautiful Queen- Vader Eloha- who worked so hard to create a perfect world, only for her husband to attempt to destroy it all. Whatever marriage they had, it sure wasn’t a happy one, that’s for sure.  
Zacharie wasn’t sure what the Queen would think of him if she knew that one of her subjects had fallen head over heels for the “purifier”, as he’d called himself some time before.  
It was strange to have such feelings for somebody, but barely know anything about them other than what products they usually request. (That being new bats. He seemed to always be as eager as he could be if he’d mentioned something about a new bat in stock. Though, he’d always have bats in stock since little Elsen- the shy and slightly aggravating residents of this new world- were probably too skittish to even attempt to _hold_ a bat.)  
But this wasn’t the time for the masked man to play in dream land, as he heard footsteps coming forward from down the hall. The sound of the familiar footsteps drew him out of his thoughts fast enough for him to let out his signature chuckle as Batter and his puppeteer reached where he’d set up shop in the shopping mall/maze that they were determined to venture into next.   
Ever since the puppeteer- an entity that cannot be seen or heard, and exists outside this world- had taken control of Batter, the guardians say (during those tea parties that Zacharie listened in on almost all of the time )that Batter, who had always acted somewhat cold (especially towards his wife and sickly son) started to act more like he was… an evergreen. That was the only way Zacharie could put it, strangely enough. He seemed like an evergreen to him- his straight shoulders and height take up for the trunk of the tree, but his feet- driven deep beneath the cold earth- stand for the beliefs that he holds so close to heart. Whatever heart he did have, that is.   
That’s why the mere merchant couldn’t stand to have feelings for him. Batter never showed any type of emotion- be it anger, fear, bewilderment, confusion, lust, or… or _anything_ , to be honest.  
As Batter turned from the shop with a handful of healing Luck Tickets in his left hand, and his bat in his dominant right hand, Zacharie let out a silent, distraught huff, making the air under his mask unbearably muggy. He snatched his frog-like mask from off his face, slamming in down onto the counter in his tantrum.  
It wasn’t fair that he had to suffer like this, and while he couldn’t remember what happened to him or what he experienced the other times the puppeteer played this sick, twisted game, he was sure that the script hadn’t called for any of these unneeded emotions.   
He was beyond livid. He wasn’t mad at anyone in particular, just life… _and perhaps himself_.   
Wasn’t it his fault that he had fallen for the purifier? The holy man, that in the end was going to kill them all? Even him…  
Zacharie went rigid as he saw small tears dotting the blue counter that he stood behind, and he quickly rubbed roughly at his eyes as they leaked liquid shame. He couldn’t stand crying- it made him feel weak, and vulnerable. At least there had been nobody around when it had started. Actually, it was a _great_ thing that there was nobody around- no Elsen, no Batter, no guardians, no Queen- since he felt he was about ready to tear the head off the next person to speak to him.  
            “…Zacharie?” The voice was low, and monotone, and it was sickeningly obvious that it belonged to the Batter. But, contrary to what he was thinking, he wasn’t about to go and kill the man.  
He wasn’t sure how he hadn’t heard the man’s footsteps- especially since his hearing was actually rather good. He scrambled to turn around, his back to the Batter until he could strap his mask on over his features that he loathed much more than his current situation. Before he could even consider trying to let out a chuckle, he realized that he had, in fact, been seen crying, and he let out a sigh of defeat.  
Zacharie turned around and leaned his torso against the counter, his eyes refusing to look up at the Batter’s four, red ones.  
            “Yes?” He replied softly- much more softly than he intended. It made him sound far more upset than he wanted to sound.   
He heard the Batter’s clothing shift as he moved his weight from one leg to the other.  
            “Zacharie, look at me,” He demanded after some time in that same voice he’d used every time before. From his actions, and the fact he was actually speaking to him, Zacharie figured that the puppeteer had left the game for the time being. He was sure they’d return soon enough.  
He didn’t comply with the order, and continued to stare hard at the plastic, blue counter that held his backpack and his multiple wares.  
When he didn’t respond, he was caught off guard by a hand roughly grabbing him by the chin and forced him to look up into his piercing, crimson eyes, which locked boldly onto the merchants.  
“What’s wrong?” He asked more sternly, and somewhere in that rough voice he sounded concerned- but that could have just been his mind playing cruel tricks on him, as it usually did when the Batter did something deemed unusual. Such as, when their fingers touch, his mind would tell Zacharie that perhaps he’d done it intentionally. But he knew deep inside that it was impossible.

The Batter felt nothing for another living thing, and Zacharie knew it sickeningly well. Any emotion he did have went to his “holy mission” to purify the Zones, and to eliminate the specters that haunt the land and terrify the Elsen, which turn them into Burnts, and in turn, turn them into what they had feared.  
Zacharie glanced to the side, trying to avoid the eyes locked into his deep brown ones hidden by the black eyes of his mask.   
He opened his mouth to speak once before shutting it once again when he found he had nothing to say to him besides everything- and as most humans know: Trying to say everything at once is not a wise decision.   
“Well?” Batter pressed on, his eyes narrowing on the smaller man.  
            Zacharie swallowed thickly before mustering the most pathetic lie he’d ever thought of telling, “I-it’s nothing, mon ami…” He chuckled nervously, but it came out strangled and stressed under the intensity of Batter’s eyes.  
            Batter let go of the other’s chin with a sigh. His eyes met his feet, before meeting the black holes in Zacharie’s mask once again, “Why don’t you trust me?”  
That had been the first time Zacharie had heard anything like that coming from the Batter, and honestly, he wanted to hear that tone of voice more often. Batter sounded like he genuinely cared- but then again, it could be another figment of his imagination.   
But then he turned his attention to the actual question. It stung, because of course he trusted the bat wielding man. But why should he? He knew that in the end, he was going to be killed alongside everything else in this world. So why should he stand with and provide help to the killer when he’s one of his many victims- destined to meet the same, premature fate?  
He didn’t know the answer to this question, and therefore decided to ignore it and the headache it brought with it.  
            “I _do_ trust you, cheri ami. Why would I provide you with what you need if I did not trust you?” He paused for a moment before continuing rather quietly, “That would just be stupid…” He mumbled the last part to himself. After all, _he_ was the one trusting a monster; a killer. _He_ was the one being stupid.  
He pushed that into the back of his hard head again, perfectly fine with playing ignorant for right now.  
            “While that is true, _cheri ami,_ ” He hissed those last words, they dripped with painful venom as he continued, “There are things you aren’t telling me, things that it would be better if you let out. Wouldn’t that be nice?” He said, his voice low, sending an uncomfortable shudder through the merchant who just stared back with wide, hidden eyes.  
            “…Why should I tell you?” Zacharie said after a moment, and scoffed, “It’s not like you talk to me- we aren’t _friends._ ” He swallowed the lump forming in his throat, and said one of the many things he thought he’d never, “I’m just a mere merchant. I mean nothing to you, so stop acting like you care,” He said it calmly, and with a choked voice, but the words tasted terribly bitter on his tongue. The way the Batter’s eyes never left him, and how his face never shifted, Zacharie immediately regretted his choice.  
Batter turned to leave, leaving the other to stare after him as he left. Zacharie opened his mouth to say something, but it came out muted and unheard by the taller man as he walked away, his knuckles a whiter white than his already sickly pale skin as his hand was wrapped tightly around the handle of his bat.  
When Batter was out of sight, Zacharie gently pulled off his mask, and set it to the side, the mask barely making a sound against the similarly plastic surface. He let the tears fall, even though he knew he wanted to keep it bottled up to forget about it.   
He knew that was impossible, though. He wondered why Batter got so hurt about it. Maybe he _did_ care? Or perhaps, he _wanted_ to care, and just didn’t know how to do it.   
It didn’t matter now. All the chances of Zacharie getting close to Batter were probably now crushed into oblivion, never to be revived by even the Queen herself- supposedly the strongest being in existence. Well, minus whoever the puppeteer was.  
Zacharie crumbled to the ground, and it seemed like the Nothingness was swallowing him whole until he realized he _was_ in the Nothingness. The intense whispers mocked his thoughts, but he opted to ignore them- not like they would help his situation at all.   
He sniffled back snot from his crying, and glanced around him with slightly bleary eyes.   
When had he gotten here? More importantly, though: _What_ brought him here?  
Surely he hadn’t teleported himself there, since as far as he knew, he could definitely not teleport. If that was the case, he wouldn’t have to worry quite as much about the Batter getting to places before he was able to get there first and set up shop.  
He was about to return back to Zone 2 until the Batter was done in that area, but noticed strange movement in the dense, black fog. If he went to investigate and the puppeteer and Batter found that he was not where he was supposed to be, they would surely know that there was something wrong with the game. They would probably think that there was a bug in the game, and would go to delete it…  
Zacharie thought for a minute, and then labeled that as wishful thinking, since that would mean that the Batter would be free of his strings to roam where he pleased. And maybe then they could try to connect with each other.  
But no, not anymore. Now Zacharie’s chances with the person he felt so much for were most likely ruined.  
But then again, he spoke the truth, so what could he do? Lie? No… Batter wasn’t a person easily lied to. He would definitely hate him then, since Zacharie has learned about the Batter that he can’t _stand_ lying. He would consider him so _impure_ that he probably wouldn’t even bother trying to purify him with his holy weapon. He would likely consider him to be unworthy of anything he had to offer- even if that was just violence and bloodshed.  
Zacharie brushed the thoughts from his mind, and crept forward in the dark, nearing the figure protected by the shadowy mist. He was only a few feet in front of them, his heart slamming against his ribcage, when he recognized them as a very familiar face.  
            “Sucre? Sugar?” He called out her names, and she immediately turned around, her neutral expression stretching into a wide grin.  
            “Zacharie!” She exclaimed, and jumped into his arms. Just as fast as she was in his arms, she pulled out of their tight embrace, “What are you doing here? I thought the puppeteer was still active?”  
            “Yeah, they are,” Zacharie’s smile fell when he realized what must have happened for her to be there. “Who let you out of the basement?” The basement is a secret area in Zone 0 in which Sucre was locked up in to protect them from Batter.   
            “Oh, I let myself out!” She grinned and rolled back and forth on the heels of her feet, “The last time you visited you left the trap door cracked, so I took advantage of that little screw-up.” She rolled her white eyes, “And besides, that ducky can’t be that bad! He should be a pretty easy fight, especially if he decides not to transform.”  
Zacharie wasn’t sure what she was referring to, talking about “transforming” and all that.

But with her, it was kind of hard to tell.  
            “Right… Uhm, I actually wanted to talk to you about that,” Zacharie decided now was as good a time as any to tell his little secret to his best friend. Actually, even “best friend” was an understatement. She had been one of his first friends next to Pablo- a grinning, white cat with a shockingly high intelligence- coming here from the other world. What was the name of it again? He couldn’t think of it in time before Sucre started talking.  
            “Well, that’s great ‘n all, but let’s go to Zone 0 to talk about this. Pablo isn’t there at the moment, he said something about going looking for his brother Valerie.” She grasped his wrist tight in her smaller, softer hands, dragging him towards the floating ball of light in all the darkness.  
            “Uh, I guess, if you insist,” Zacharie stammered, and in the blink of an eye, they were standing in front of the tall, yellow building that is Pablo’s home. No matter how many times he visits, and how hard he tries to get used to the place, he can’t seem to look on the bright side of the place.   
Which, is pretty ironic, considering the entire island-like Zone is a vivid yellow- a complete contrast to the pale white, liquefied plastic that flows endlessly around it.  
            “Okay, follow me, and then we can talk,” Sucre said, her hand still seriously tight around his wrist, and still dragging him towards the smaller building in front. She led him into the room where the basement door was found. It was closed, so it blended perfectly into the yellow floor, making it invisible unless you knew what you were looking for. Sucre seemed content with staying out of the sugar-filled basement, and sat down on the floor, Zacharie following suit. He let out a long exhale, and removed his mask, placing it down by his side. Sucre had seen his face plenty of times before, so his scarred features no longer came as a shock to her.  
            He pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes screwed shut, before he opened them abruptly and looked Sucre right in her white, dead-looking eyes. “So… first off, you have to promise not to laugh, okay?”  
            “Do I ever?” Sucre scoffed, pretending to be offended, pressing a hand to her bare chest. All she wore on her top: tape over her breasts and a grey vest.  
            Zacharie gave her a skeptical look, leaning his head lower for more emphasis, “I’m serious. This is important to me, okay?”  
            “This isn’t _another_ one of your ideas as to how you can get more customers, because let me tell you in advance- I’m gonna laugh,” She smiled, and placed her hands in her lap.  
            He sighed, “No, it’s not. And that only happened once, so I don’t want to hear that ‘again’ crap,” He chuckled before his expression turned serious again. He huffed, scratching his scalp trough his jet black hair and from his eyes before going on, “This time it’s about a person.”  
            “Oooh!” Sucre seemed to have taken an interest immediately, and perked up, her slouched position straightening significantly.  
           

            Zacharie started talking again before she could go on about how he had to spill the beans now that he’d mentioned it, “This time it’s about a person that you’ve insulted a _lot_ in front of me.” He was hoping that she would get the hint without him actually having to say his name. At the moment, that was the last thing he wanted to do.  
            After a long, long moment of staring and silence, she spoke up, “…Seriously, who is it? I insult, like, everyone- Zach, you know this,” Her smile having ran from her face, she looked at him with a blank expression. Zacharie sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose tighter, his eyes falling to the floor.  
As if with a ‘ding’, a lightbulb must have literally burst in Sucre’s mind because her mouth fell open and she leaned forward.   
As she spoke, her open mouth curled into a devious smirk. “No… don’t tell me it’s who I think it is…” She mock warned, and leaned forward until Zacharie could smell the sweets on her breath, their noses barely touching.  
            He groaned, and spawled back onto the floor, staring up at the ceiling with his brow creased, “If it’s who you think it is, _shoot me._ ” He knew very well that Sucre could read him like a book, but a lot of the time, he’d like to believe he wasn’t _that_ predictable.  
            “Is it… ducky?” She guessed, though she knew she was right. Zacharie had learned by now that apparently she refers to the Batter as “ducky”. He hasn’t asked the reason to this, but should probably think about it since it is a rather strange nickname to give to somebody who offers zero resemblance to the rubber bath toy.  
            “Yeeees…” He drew out in dismay, and lifted his head up just enough to see Sucre grinning from ear to ear, the black circles on the corners of her mouth distorted by her dimples.  
            “So you’re meaning to tell me that you like _Batter_?” She rephrased with a larger grin than she had before, and Zacharie was slightly taken aback- since that had been the first time she’d ever actually called the Batter, “Batter”. Nevertheless, he nodded curtly at his only female friend.   
“Hm…” She mused over something in her mind before nodding back, “Yep, I can see it! You two will be so cute! I _have_ to start thinking of a name for you two as a couple!”   
            “Uh, Sucre, it’s a bit more complex than just… _that_ ,” Zacharie cut her off, and bit his lip when she asked what he meant. “Well, you see…” He was grasping at straws for a way to word this, “The Batter… he doesn’t seem to have any emotions, and even so, I kind of made him mad earlier, so he’s probably going to avoid me, or something,” Zacharie huffed, his shoulders slouching as his posture deflated almost completely.   
            “Hm, I bet he has emotions under there _somewhere._ Keep in mind that he _is_ a holy man on a mission- he won’t stop until he’s purified this whole world. That’s probably what he dreams about too,” She giggled at the last part she said, but Zacharie just let out a deeper sigh. “Okay, okay,” She raised her hands in defense from the sad look on the other’s marred face, “But I mean it- he has to have feelings somewhere. We just have to figure out where to start.”  
            Zacharie smiled half-heartedly, knowing it’d be best if he went back to check on Batter and the puppeteer and their progress in the mazes of the shopping mall. “Well, Sucre, thanks for your help. You’re always the best to talk to when I get in a funk.”   
She stood up as well, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him in for a tight hug.  
            “No problem,” She said quietly, and pulled away from him. “I’m here to help, remember?”  
            He smiled a genuine smile, “You always do.” His eyes fell from his friends, and he eyed the trap door for a second before beginning once more, “You know, I suggest at least staying in Zone 0, where Batter is least likely to go. I don’t want either one of you to get hurt, okay? You both mean so, _so_ much to me it’s ridiculous!” He chuckled at how foolish he thought he sounded, but Sucre seemed to take it to heart.   
            “I won’t fight him if you love him that much, Zacharie- I wouldn’t do that to you,” She smiled, and sent him off on his way back to his post with a find pat on the shoulder and wishes of good luck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

A few minutes after Zacharie had reached his shop and got settled back, Batter’s footsteps could be heard in the distance. Not only that, but his voice could be heard in dark grumbles- barely audible to the average ear. But alas, Zacharie was not only in a mostly empty room, but had exceptional hearing. (According to himself, that is.)  
Zacharie, after talking to Sucre, was feeling a bit more giddy than he had previous- and the smile under his mask was great proof of that.  
Right before Zacharie was going to let out his regular spiel to his most loyal customer, Batter slammed his metal bat _into_ the counter top, making the smaller male jump in surprise.  
The anger that flourished in the Batter’s expression was overcome with guilt as he quickly removed his bat from the ruined counter.  
            “I’m sorry,” He said hurriedly, and that’s when Zacharie heard the difference in his voice- how it was conveying _emotion._ Before Zacharie could say anything, the Batter started rambling, “I’m really, _really_ sorry, I didn’t mean to! It’s just that the puppeteer left me in that maze with no way to get out. It’s already been _hours_ and they haven’t returned! I don’t know _if_ they’ll be back, since they’ve never been gone for so long. At this rate, my mission will never be accomplished.” Having nothing left to say, he stood there with an aggravated but frightened look on his face, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.  
Zacharie blinked a few times before a large grin stretched across his face. This meant that this was the start Sucre was talking about- a start to a new Batter.   
            “Batter…” Zacharie said his name with a smile, his heart beating rapidly in his newfound hope. This could mean a new _beginning-_ maybe Zacharie could even break him free of this whole “Purification” shenanigan. Actually, could it be considered a shenanigan since the lives of everyone are at risk?   
            “Zacharie,” Batter sighed the other’s name and nodded, acknowledging that his own name had been spoken. His platinum blonde brow was furrowed as he continued to look down on the merchant. Zacharie stared back, but his eyes were hidden from the now soft and gentle gaze of the Batter’s red orbs.  
Zacharie would have seized the parted lips before him if it wasn’t for the frightened and awkward aura around the Batter- all he wanted to do was comfort him, and that meant by any means possible. And while he would go to any means possible, he probably wouldn’t kiss him unless the Batter was the one that started it. That’s because, well, Zacharie was just shy like that. (Although, most of the problem with Zacharie trying to kiss Batter comes from the fact that- in comparison to Batter- he’s short.)  
            “I… I don’t know what to say, really,” Zacharie admitted glancing down at the counter briefly before looking back into Batter’s eyes- remembering where his silence had gotten him last time.   
But of _course_ he wasn’t about to tell him right there to give up on his mission. If the puppeteer came back, they came back- there’s nothing that could be done about that. But if they didn’t come back, then that meant it’d be time for Zacharie to take charge and help him see that what he’s doing is, to put it bluntly, straight up _murder.  
_ But of course, he wouldn’t see that at this moment. No, he would claim that his purification was getting rid of the evil- and while it was, it was also creating more evil in its wake.   
            “Well, I haven’t stated my question yet…” Batter mumbled, awkwardly adjusting the rim of his hat that rested just above his primary eyes. They darted to the floor, and Zacharie smiled sweetly at the sight. Of course, his smile went unseen, and was pretty pointless because of that, but he didn’t mind.   
            “Ask then,” Zacharie shrugged, and leaned further across the counter. He was actually curious, since Batter had never asked any favors of him before, and whatever it was, he’d probably end up charging him for anyways; such was the merchant’s way.  
            Batter’s eyes, locked onto his feet, shifted from foot to foot as he spoke quietly, “Well, since the puppeteer never left me alone before, I haven’t come up with a place to stay until they come back. I was…” He coughed into a fist, and straightened his posture, trying to regain his stern composure, “…I was wondering if I could stay with you until they returned?” He spoke his last sentence with the cold seriousness Zacharie was used to, but that didn’t stop the other’s heart from soaring with the euphoria of those words. It seemed impossible what was happening to Zacharie. Just earlier he was loathing that he had feelings for this man, and now he was about ready to jump into his arms and stay there forever. He thought for a moment that it’d be best if he was tested for bipolar, but he pushed the thought out of his head.  
Apparently it’d taken him a while to open his mouth, because Batter started mumbling again, his hand going straight to his black cap, “I mean, you don’t have to let me stay with you if you don’t want to. I can always go back to Damien and sleep in the barns- it’s purified in Zone 1 anyways. I-“  
            Zacharie cut him off fast before he could waste anymore breath, “No!” There was a heavy silence as he stared at him in slight shock, having taken a step back from the unexpected loudness, “I mean… Uhm, I don’t mind _at all_ if you stay here…” I smile, but of course it went unseen. I also make sure to curse myself for my sudden outburst.   
            He smiled. He smiled a _real smile_ , and said, “Thank you, Zacharie.”   
            Zacharie thought to himself quietly, “If my heart had cute little legs it would _burst it’s way through my flipping chest, and fall dramatically at Batter’s feet, subjecting itself to him._ ”  
“Pas de probleme, mon ami,” Zacharie chuckled more smoothly his thoughts. Nonetheless, he was overjoyed that something was finally going right for him.

It was nighttime in Zone 2. The Elsen were all back at the residential area since they _are_ residents. The specters, as far as Zacharie knew, were nowhere in sight. But the night was not kind to everyone. Not the Batter, as Zacharie had noticed.  
Batter was still freaked out when, after hours of simply lounging around the shop, his puppeteer had yet to return.

The older, taller man was sitting with his back against the cool, blue wall. His breathing was ragged, and his eyes were settled on his knees that were brought up to his chest. Zacharie, who had been standing on the other side of his little make-shift shop, continued to frown from behind his mask. He didn’t like seeing the Batter as he was. It irked him to the very bone. The man’s brow was furrowed under the rim on his black baseball cap, his blood red eyes staring with a far-off look in them; it was almost like he wasn’t in the same world as Zacharie at that moment- or like nothing around him existed at all.  
Zacharie, as he’d decided before, didn’t like seeing Batter like this. Having that in mind, he sat down at the other’s side, staring at his own black-clad legs for a second before he looked up to see if anything had changed about the Batter.  
No dice.  
Zacharie inwardly sighed, slouching in his spot before he realized their fingers were barely touching. He stared at their hands for a long time before moving his hot, clammy hand onto the Batter’s ice-cold hand. Zacharie thought it felt lovely, for not only was it not terrible sweaty (like his was)it was calloused and worn, giving him more character than a person in a game should have.  
At the touch, Batter’s eyes focused more, but he did not move them. It was almost like he might have felt that if he moved, something bad would happen. Oh, and Zacharie knew that feeling very well- like it was a part of him. Then again, with the script and all, it might as well be considered just that.  
Zacharie was startled as Batter yanked his hand away, his eyes boring into Zacharie’s soul with a look that was not hate- but confusion. The confused look was better than anger, or fear at least. At least Zacharie could stomach a look of sheer inquisitiveness from him.  
Batter’s arm settled in his lap as his eyes rested on the merchant. He let out a deep sigh, and opened his mouth to say something, but closed it quickly. He stared off into space again, turning from Zacharie to probably think of better things.   
Zacharie sometimes wonder what he was thinking. Actually, scratch that. He _always_ wondered what the tall man was thinking about. But at the moment, it seemed likely that he was thinking about his puppeteer; where they were, what they were doing…  
Zacharie would go on thinking about whatever he thought Batter was thinking about, but a low, appealing voice called him from the depths of his mind.   
            “Zachaire?” Batter said his name in that newly found voice of his- the one that showed he was confused. Zacharie liked his voice now that he had emotion- not to say he didn’t like his voice before, but now he liked it a lot more than he had.  
            “Yes?” He replied, and Batter gave ample time for Zacharie to be put in suspense before he opened his mouth again. It hung open for a moment, and at first a broken word- sounding almost like a choking sound- escaped his lips before actual words started to come out.  
            “Zacharie… I… I don’t know what to do. I know I’ve said this before, but what if they never come back? What if they’ve abandoned me…” He was silent for a moment longer before his fallen eyes rose to meet the black holes in Zacharie’s mask. “I don’t want to be alone.”  
            Zacharie was silent. Though, he seemed to surprise Batter when he scoffed, and wrapped his arms tightly around the other’s shoulders. “You’re so melodramatic…” He sighed, and rest his chin on top of the other’s head. Or, really their hat. Every time Zacharie saw him, he was wearing that hat.   
Batter let out a long exhale- but not sharp or stressed, or anything like that- he sounded content with what was happening, even leaning backwards into Zacharie’s chest with that enjoyable little hum of his- reverberating through his throat and reaching the other’s ears.  
Zacharie’s smile turned into a more neutral expression as a thought came into mind.  
            “Batter?” He didn’t wait for him to reply, “Why don’t you take off your hat?”  
           

 

“…” He was silent for a long time, and Zacharie started to get nervous in the dense awkwardness. Batter, at this point, had left Zacharie’s embrace, and was standing up, his eyes glaring out of the window. Zacharie followed suit, and stood, standing a few feet away from the man in the baseball attire.   
After what seemed like forever, he said, “It’s like why you don’t take off your mask- for reasons.”  
            “Ah…” Zacharie thought on that for a moment, “Well, that’s a fine point you’ve got there, mon ami…” He ended his sentence, but it sounded like he was meant to say more. And true to his tone of voice, he continued, “But, consider this, what if I was to strike you a deal?” Zacharie put his hands together and pointed his fingers outwards, his eyebrows raising pointlessly from under his mask, but his voice should have carried his expression.  
            The other’s platinum brow furrowed, and he stood a bit straighter as he took in what Zacharie had said, “…What kind of deal?”   
            “Oh, well it’s a simple thing, really,” Zacharie chuckled, and took a few steps towards Batter to where he was by his side. His eyes followed Batter’s gaze, landing on the residential area. What they were looking through wasn’t exactly a window- but a large enough hole in the wall made by a specter that had decided it would be a good idea to force themselves through the wall instead of fazing through. “What if I was to say, that if you took off your hat, I would show you what’s under my mask.”  
This seemed to strike the Batter as interesting, since his eyes narrowed and he seemed to be thinking over the matter. He pulled away from the wall, and looked Zacharie dead on, his eyes still thin and dagger-like.   
            “What’s the catch?” He asked, and Zacharie grinned wide.  
            “There _is_ no catch. It’s simple, you take off your hat, and I show you what’s under my mask,” He said cheerily, as the Batter’s eyes analyzed his features.  
There was nothing special about him. He was just a merchant, after all. What did show up as odd to anybody that saw him, was (most obviously) his mask, and secondly, the sweatshirt he wore with a large, pink heart in the center. But that didn’t seem to be what Batter was focused on. He was watching most intently the other’s eyes from under his mask.  
            “…Alright,” Batter sighed, and reached for the rim of his cap, pulling it off his head. There lay a nice head of super short, platinum blonde hair.   
            “Fair enough,” Zacharie nodded. He didn’t understand why the other wore the hat, honestly. There was nothing to hide! It was just a normal head of hair.  
            “Now, keep up your end of the deal,” Batter demanded, and ran a hand through his hair, letting it fall back into place with the absence of his hand.  
            “Of course, mon ami,” Zacharie smiled. “You see, under my mask is…”  He pulled off his mask, and Batter frowned deeply, “Another mask.” The mask was a blank white, with four little holes- two for his eyes, and two for his nose.  
            “You’ve got to be kidding me…” Batter sighed, sounding exasperated beyond belief.  
            “Hey, I said that I’d show you _what under my mask_. I didn’t say anything about showing you my face,” Zacharie tutted, and strapped his original mask on. He’d be sure to take off the underlying one after Batter fell asleep. If he ever went to sleep, that is… Does he even need sleep?  
            “Bien joué…” Batter complimented with his frown lightening up to a small smile.   
           

            “Batter, do you sleep?” Zacharie asked out of the blue, unable to stop the words from coming out of his mouth.  
            “Of course I sleep,” Batter rolled all four of his red eyes, before taking a step towards the shorter man. “But, speaking of sleep… Do you have a place I can rest for tonight?”   
Zacharie paused for a moment, wondering whether or not to tell him about it. Then he nodded.  
            “Yeah, you can come stay at my house. Heh, and now I don’t have to worry about any specters coming out of nowhere with you around,” Zacharie nudged Batter with his shoulder, with a chuckle.  
Batter, however, did not seem quite as amused. Zacharie supposed he didn’t quite have a full sense of humor yet. But, no matter! It would surely come around soon enough.  
            “Alright, well… can you show me the way?” Batter asked, the corners of his lips curling into a small smile that made Zacharie’s cheeks flush, and his face grow hot. But he swatted those feelings away, and nodded curtly.  
            “Of course,” He said, the same smile in his voice that was usually there.

When they had reached Zone 1, Zacharie had to squint his eyes to see through all of the pristine white around him. This Zone had been purified by the Batter. Everything in it is dead, and the color all gone.  
That, of course, did not stop Zacharie from taking over the old barn right near the entrance of Damien. The barn was the perfect size for him, and while Batter was going to be staying with him for God-knows how long, it wouldn’t make much of a difference since he only took up a small corner for himself. Batter could have the entire rest of the barn for all Zacharie cared, and it wouldn’t faze him.  
Batter, when they entered, look around. His eyes moved up the walls, and across the floor, and then finally onto Zacharie.  
            “Thank you,” He nodded curtly, and set his bat down in a corner across from where Zacharie’s sleeping bag had been set up. Next to his little sleeping-quarters, Zacharie’s bag was set down. He sighed, and slumped down, his back on the wall as eventually his bottom reached the cold floor- still frigid despite the thick, black pants he wore.  
Thankfully, a purified Zone still turns to night eventually. And this was that time.   
Outside the sky was darkening in shades of grey, and the sharp, white buildings were soon shadowed in a dark, dark black.  
Thankfully, Zacharie wasn’t afraid of the dark, and the Batter didn’t seem to show any signs either. So, standing and closing the window, Zacharie stared outside before turning to Batter. He stood awkwardly in the center of the room, his hat lifted up slightly, some hair peeping out in a little tuff.  
            “Is there something wrong?” Zacharie asked, staring down the man in the black and white baseball get-up.  
            Batter shifted on his feet, and finally looked up at the other man, “It’s just that… I don’t know what to do, really. I’m usually always on the move- under the control of the player… This is foreign to me.”  
            “Don’t worry, being lazy is easy!” Zacharie waved a dismissive hand, and Batter immediately looked at him incredulously. “Well, I mean… for me anyways…” Zacharie mumbled.

He wasn’t too sure how to help him. He’d only really sold him items before, and had nothing to do with him otherwise. This was probably a job for somebody else… But he can’t find out about her. He’d _kill_ her. Sucre would be murdered, and it would end up being his fault. Soooo… that’s not an option at all.  
“Okay, how about this,” Zacharie put his hands on Batter’s shoulders and pushed him so that he was sitting on the ground, and he followed, sitting down on the hard floor only a couple feet from the other. “Let’s talk about our feelings… I guess…” He thought for a moment, “It’ll be like therapy, but I’ll be talking too- so you can know me as well as I’ll know you.” That was the only thing he could think of. Though, Batter probably didn’t even know what therapy was, now that he thought about it. Too late to change his words, though.  
            “Alright,” Batter nodded, and folded his hands in his lap. Zacharie, for a moment, couldn’t help but stare at his hands. He wondered what they’d feel caressing his cheek, his sides… Perhaps-NOPE.  
NOOOOO.  
Zacharie quickly threw those thoughts far, _far_ from his mind. He couldn’t be thinking like that at the moment, there was talking to be done! Much talking, and no time for dirty thoughts like those!  
“You go first,” Batter said, clearly having not sensed the suddenly stiff composure of the merchant.   
            “Oh, okay…” He sighed quietly, trying to clear his mind. “I’ll start by introducing myself, okay?” Batter nodded. “My name is Zacharie, I’m the merchant necessary for every good videogame. And there are three important things about me: One, never will I tell where I get my merchandise from. Two, I can’t promise I’ll always tell the truth. Three, I likely will never show you my face.”  
            “What next?” Batter asked, cocking his head to the side slightly.   
            “Ah, next…” Zacharie tried to think of his times in the other world- where he had to take therapy almost every day. He should remember this kind of stuff… “Next I tell you what’s wrong with me, and then it’s your turn.” Batter nodded again. “Well… I’m very insecure about my past, and about my face… That’s it,” Zacharie shrugged, not able to really think about anything else that was really wrong with him, except for his attraction to the Batter, and he was _not_ planning on telling him _that_ anytime soon.  
            Batter nodded slowly, then cleared his throat and straightened up, “I am the Batter, and I am the purifier that will save this world from its chaos. There is one important thing about me: I must not _feel_ for anything. Feelings make people weak, being weak leads to distraction, and distraction leads to death.” Zacharie couldn’t help but feel his heart sink deep within his chest- deep, deep down into his chest, but he continued listening to what he had to say, “I’m in dire need to regain my puppeteer and continue my mission.”   
It was like the old Batter was here again, and Zacharie couldn’t stand it. It made his heart hurt, and he’d be seriously mistaken if he said his eyes weren’t watering.   
He couldn’t say anything- his voice would crack slightly, and Batter would definitely notice- so he just nodded his head, and hummed in acknowledgement.   
Batter was silent for a moment. Even though Zacharie wasn’t looking at him, he could _feel_ Batter’s eyes on him, boring into him and digging holes into his soul.   
           

“What’s actually wrong with you?” He asked kindly, and gently he lifted up Zacharie’s chin, making him at least face him- even if his eyes weren’t on him. He continued, “I… I said I _must not_... And though… and though here I am, caring about _you_.” Batter’s brow was deeply furrowed, and his eyes- oh, those red eyes- they flickered quickly to the bottom of Zacharie’s mask and lingered there.  
“…Show me your face,” He finally said, and Zacharie was slightly taken aback at the sudden command. “…Please.”  
Zacharie’s eyes- having finally looked up at Batter’s- stared long and hard at the other before moving his hands up to his mask. Batter backed away, watching intently. He wasn’t sure what had come over him, it was as if his hands were moving on their own accord towards his mask that hid his identity from everyone. He hesitated for a moment, his hands lingered in front of his face before he grasped the sides of his mask.   
He took his mask off.

Batter stared at him for a moment, his brow relaxing. Zacharie stared back, unsure how to act. Sucre had been the only person to see his face up until now. Now, Batter- the one person he wanted more than ever to forget about ever seeing his face- was studying the healed wounds that littered him.   
There was every sized scar on his body, but on his face was the worst by far. Small scars in bunches left indentions on his otherwise perfect skin, marring him beyond repair.   
He was dismayed when Batter chuckled- his voice warm and smooth in the air; in his ears.  
            “Why would you hide your face because of your wounds?” He sighed. He wasn’t smiling, no, that wasn’t the look he was giving him. The look he had was understanding, but it only showed in his eyes- all four of them, as they gazed down on him.  
Why he was giving him that look, Zacharie had no idea, since Batter didn’t have any scars- any that were visible, that is. “Zacharie… I…” He bit his lip, deciding to continue, “I know you didn’t want to show me your face, so I think there’s something I need to tell you…”   
            “What?” Zacharie asked, his voice clearer than it was from behind his mask.  
            “I’m… I’m not as pure as I claim to be,” He admitted, and Zacharie was left in confusion at that.   
How could he not be pure? He was the purifier, wasn’t he?  
“I… _I_ am impure!” He said quietly, but forcefully. His eyes were no on the floor, and tears streamed down his face. He was silent except for crying until Zacharie spoke up.  
            “…How?” He asked, “How are _you_ of all people impure? You said it yourself- you’re the one on the holy mission to cleanse this world!” Zacharie said each syllable with the disbelief that he strongly felt. He was going to say something else, but Batter started again, this time in a low, gravelly voice.   
            “Get me a knife,” He said.   
            “What?” Zacharie took a step backwards, his brow creased and the confusion really started to sink in. What would he use the knife for? Would he kill himself right here in the middle of the barn? Would he try to attack Zacharie? Had he said too much to him?  
            “ _Get me a knife,_ ” He said more sternly- in a voice Zacharie was sure he’d never heard him use before. But then again, with all his new emotions, there’s going to be some voices that were never before heard. Without uttering another word, Zacharie turned to his backpack, and pulled out a small pocketknife. The Batter calmly took the knife- he seemed less likely to yell now- and he dug it deep into his arm.   
Zacharie let out a gasp, and his eyes went wide at the inky-black blood that raced down his out held arm. “I am one of them, Zacharie. Can’t you see it? The resemblance between them,” He paused dramatically, but not just for the effect, “ _And me_ ,” The other watched as Batter’s body grew and contorted and made sounds like _snaps_ and tearing tissues and muscles.  
His face stretched into a long, snout with razor sharp teeth. The four red eyes had become two white eyes- one on each side of his head. (His ears, strangely enough, were the only things remotely human.)  
            “Wha… How?” Zacharie stuttered, looking up at the man who was already taller than him to begin with.

Was he even a man anymore? Clearly he wasn’t as human as he’d originally thought he was, that’s for sure. The sight frightened the small man, but he knew that it was still him deep in there, so he stood his ground. Batter had to turn his head to look down on Zacharie with one of his large, circular eyes.  
            “I’m a specter, like them.” He paused, and shook his head, “Zacharie, I’m so, _so_ sorry.”  
            “Sorry for what?” The shorter asked, and he felt that his brow- being knitted together- couldn’t go any further into his face.  There was no point in telling Batter that he did nothing wrong, but that would be a lie. Batter being a specter himself made his actions even worse. But he wasn’t going to say that either, because that would be inconsiderate.   
            “Sorry for _this_ ,” He motioned to himself with his large hands with long, pointed fingers, a frown on his maw. “I should have told you sooner than later-  I just… I didn’t know how you would respond to this.”  
Zacharie knew he wasn’t reacting how Batter thought he would. Batter likely thought that Zacharie would scream, and run from him, or something ridiculously cliché like that. But Zacharie only stood there, his deep eyes- bordered by dark purple bags- looking right back at the other’s.  
But while his mind was set on staying where he was, his legs had another idea. He strode over to the monster, and before Batter had a chance to move away, Zacharie’s arms were around his wide middle. The uniform Batter was wearing was tattered, and barely hanging on. Thankfully, his pants were a bit more stretchy than his shirt had been, and were still in ‘okay’ condition.   
            “It’s okay,” Zacharie said against the other’s body, “You’re okay…”   


**Author's Note:**

> There will be a sequel to this. Just sayin.  
> Keep on the lookout for that if you're interested. :)


End file.
